I have gotten six months of good testing of the Gore Bike Wear ALP-X jacket and shorts, in varying weather conditions, and they have kept me warm, dry and comfortable. They have been a dependable and constant companion, and have been durable, useful and extremely functional. The attention to details, along with their innovations and features makes this set of GORE-TEX apparel a winning combination. Continue reading →

User Reviews

Strengths: Good water proofness, breaths fairly well and vents well. Pack really small.

Weaknesses: Fabric is fragile and rips easily, fit is small for the size and constricting at the hips. Price is high considering how easily the fabric rips.

Bottom Line:

After freezing my butt in last year's Bow 80 I decided to give these a try. The good part is that they work quite well. The fact they are shorts allows air to circulate up the legs to keep things fairly well vented. In this regard they are more comfortable than wearing rain pants.

Two big issues for me. First the fit is really small. I ordered 2X which in most shorts fits me well, even generously. With these there is just enough room. Also they are quite constricting at the hips. They actually make it hard to swing a leg over the bike, when mounting and dismounting.

The second issue is that the fabric on the sides is quite fragile. The first day I wore them I hit some ice and went down on my hip, arm and shoulder. The shorts tore, with the hole being the size of two loonies. There were also some smaller cuts and tears. None of my other gear showed any marks at all.

For the money I expected a better fit and better durability. The good news is that I was able to repair the holes. The other good news is that I got them for $40 less than full retail, with free shipping.

I will say that I like the concept. Sometimes off road in the wet, all you really need to be comfortable is a product like this to keep your butt dry, and a jacket. If I were to do it over I would probably buy the capri length version as it will keep your knees warmer and dryer.